Downtown Memphis Commission CEO Paul Young has announced he will run for mayor of Memphis in 2023, the Commercial Appeal reports. Prior to the downtown commission, Young headed up the city’s Housing and Community Development for five years. "Over the last few years, I've gotten the opportunity to participate in the revitalization of this community," Young told the Commercial Appeal on Monday. "And I want to see it continue. I want to see us continue to move down a path where we are finding opportunities for our people.” Young’s announcement came on the same day as one from former Shelby County Commissioner and NAACP President Van Turner.  They are the first two to announce campaigns in what is expected to be a crowded race to succeed Mayor Jim Strickland, who will term out next year.

Several East Tennessee lawyers and former Governors Bill Haslam and Phil Bredesen have been appointed inaugural board members of the University of Tennessee’s Institute for American Civics, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The center, funded by taxpayer money, was a bipartisan effort approved this past legislative session. According to Gov. Bill Lee and UT, the center will support "statewide efforts to advance civic education and constructive debate and to foster a deeper understanding of American government and the principles that contributed to the country’s founding." The Board of Fellows is made up of 13 members, including the two former governors and Tennessee lawyers Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Australia, and Glenn Reynolds, a distinguished law professor at UT. UT will appoint a director for the center by March after a nationwide search.  

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee is seeking to hire a managing attorney for its Knoxville Office of Immigrant Services (OIS). The position is new due to the growing demand for immigration legal services throughout East Tennessee. The Office of Immigrant Services is a DOJ-recognized program that provides immigration legal services to immigrants and refugees in the East Tennessee region. The office’s managing attorney oversees the activities and work products of legal representatives, DOJ accredited representatives, and support staff. Learn more about the role and read instructions on how to apply on the TBA’s JobLink site or browse all available jobs.

The Tennessee Bar Association will close at 1 p.m. CDT on Friday and remain closed through Monday in observance of Labor Day. The TBA's office will reopen on Tuesday at 8 a.m. CDT. Visit the TBA.org website for information on CLE or other TBA programs and for staff contact information.

Mark your calendars for TBA CLE’s Corporate Counsel 2022: How to Be a Strategic Business Partner. The webcast will take place on Oct. 18 from noon until 1 p.m. CDT and will be worth one hour of general CLE credit. Check back on the program’s webpage for more details coming soon.

The September/October issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is now available online! TBA President Tasha C. Blakney discusses the professional privilege tax in her column and Todd Pinckley looks at how Tennesseans could be affected by the threat of professional deregulation. Bryan Davidson unpacks environmental justice tools, Andy Rowlett talks cyber insurance coverage and Russell Fowler tells the story of a Supreme Court chief justice who shot an unarmed lawyer. Seriously. Our columnists cover a wide range of topics in this issue, and you can catch up on legal news, passages and licensure and discipline updates in The Legal Life. 

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order soliciting comments on proposed amendments to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure and Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure. The court notes that the Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice & Procedure recommended these changes during its 2021-2022 term, which ended on June 10. Comments on the amendments are due by Dec. 2 and should be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or mailed to James Hivner, Clerk, Re: 2023 Rules Package, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219-1407. Comments also should reference docket number ADM2022-01198.

Memphis lawyer and TBA Senior Counselor Wanda Stovall Donati died Aug. 22 at the age of 80. Donati began her career as a social worker, later attending law school as a single mother. Following graduation, Donati joined Memphis Area Legal Services, where she met Don Donati, the man who would become the love of her life and her law partner. Early in their practice, the couple fought to desegregate Memphis area nursing homes. Later they built a social security disability practice aimed at helping the least fortunate. Visitation will be held Sept. 23 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. CDT followed by a celebration of life at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 1934 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38104. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mid-South Food Bank, 3865 S. Perkins Rd., Memphis, TN 38118, or the charity of one’s choice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today appointed 27th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Jeff Parham and Lynnville Municipal Judge Cara Lynn to its Judicial Ethics Committee. Parham replaces 30th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Jerry Stokes, who retired today. Lynn replaces Judge Deana Hood, whose term expired today due to her election to the 21st Judicial District Circuit Court. Both Parham and Lynn will serve through Dec. 31, 2024.

Roane County lawyer Kent Lowery Booher, who was disbarred in 2015 based on a conviction of statutory rape, has been sentenced in federal court to life plus 120 months for the sexual exploitation of children, the Claiborne Progress reports. According to trial evidence, Booher used electronic messaging platforms to talk with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl. The other party turned out to be an undercover officer. Over a five-day period, Booher engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the officer, arranging to meet the supposed minor in person. He was arrested at the destination by the Harriman Police Department. Booher previously was convicted of sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old girl in 2012 and 2013.